兩國相爭，不斬來使

when two kingdoms are at war, they don't execute envoys (idiom)

two / both / some / a few / tael, unit of weight equal to 50 grams (modern) or 1⁄16 of a catty 斤[jin1] (old)

both countries / two countries

both countries; two countries

surname Guo

country / nation / state / national / CL:個|个[ge4]

each other / one another / mutually / fret on the neck of a pipa 琵琶[pi2 pa5] (a fret on the soundboard is called a 品[pin3])

appearance / portrait / picture / government minister / (physics) phase / (literary) to appraise (esp. by scrutinizing physical features) / to read sb's fortune (by physiognomy, palmistry etc)

to vie against one another / to fight each other / mutual aggression

to strive for / to vie for / to argue or debate / deficient or lacking (dialect) / how or what (literary)

no; not so / (bound form) not; un-

to behead (as form of capital punishment) / to chop

to come / to arrive / to come round / ever since / next

to make / to cause / to enable / to use / to employ / to send / to instruct sb to do sth / envoy / messenger